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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 30
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30. Magitech Item: Elimiang's Grace
***
—Men do not wear accessories.
It was a common saying within the Grand Royal Academy.
An era where men didn't wear accessories. Even as time passed and values changed, the world itself dictated that men rarely purchased accessories.
Thus, accessories had traditionally been the exclusive domain of women. All accessories seemed to exist to showcase their beauty, as if made solely for women. Furthermore, men who did buy accessories almost always did so for a lover, wife, or other woman.
And because it was considered so obvious,
Kali, too, naturally assumed the same.
Cadet Han Cheon-seong, too.
That he wouldn't know how to put on earrings.
So…
It would be better if she did it herself.
…
With a soft sweep, she carefully brushed back his black hair, revealing the cadet's ear. As her hand touched his body, she saw the cadet momentarily flinch, and it felt strange.
It was clearly nothing major,
but a peculiar feeling that made her pause and hesitate for no reason.
Nevertheless, feigning composure, she carefully brought the earring in her hand to his ear.
Then, suddenly, she wondered how it had come to this.
'I didn't intend to go this far.'
Stopping Cadet Han Cheon-seong as he was about to leave was an unintentional act.
It was simply… an action close to instinct.
So, she didn't know what to say next. After just blurting out whatever came to mind, she now found herself revealing her private training room—a place she would never disclose to an ordinary cadet.
She was about to fasten a magitech item of immeasurable value onto a cadet.
Even to her, it felt…
It made her feel incredibly strange.
"…"
The cadet's faint breathing reached her ear, tickling her slightly, yet she, in turn, gently caressed his ear.
"Just so you know, it might hurt a little."
"…It's fine."
She smiled faintly at the cadet's awkward reply and fastened the earring without hesitation.
Click.
As the sound of the earring clicking into place echoed, she clearly saw the cadet flinch for a moment.
She gently pulled her head back and moved to slowly fasten the other earring on his opposite ear, but Cadet Han Cheon-seong simply remained still.
"…"
He let out a shallow breath, looking perplexed, as if unsure where to put his gaze. It was fascinating to her.
'He's not asking anything.'
She had expected some resistance or a strange reaction to her putting on the earrings, but Cadet Han Cheon-seong simply accepted her actions.
He could have questioned it, asked why she was putting on the earrings, yet he seemed to accept it silently, as if trusting her.
It was as if… she could do anything to the cadet.
…The moment that thought crossed her mind, she felt incredibly strange.
'What am I thinking?'
She and Cadet Han Cheon-seong were… merely in the positions of 'instructor and cadet.'
'Right. That's all it is.'
Perhaps Cadet Han Cheon-seong accepting her touch now… wasn't so strange after all.
And so, she carefully fastened the other earring onto his opposite ear.
Click.
With the click of the earring, Cadet Han Cheon-seong flinched again, and the sight was inexplicably endearing.
Up close, he was clearly taller than her. His lithe body showed subtle muscles throughout.
Just by looking, she could see faint traces of how much effort and training the cadet had put in during the short two-month period.
Even if it wasn't yet complete… her thoughts suddenly amused her.
'To find such a cadet cute.'
She gently shook her head and then spoke.
"Cadet Han Cheon-seong. Don't do anything, just stay still for a moment."
"Yes. Understood."
She watched the cadet calmly reply and meticulously observed his form.
She had to observe him meticulously for a while to ensure no adverse reactions or strange phenomena occurred from wearing the magitech item.
—Magitech Items.
Generally, all magitech items were special. They were so remarkable, one could say there were no ordinary magitech items. Only a select few artisans, born with magitech attributes, could create them, and there were fewer than ten such artisans in the entire Empire. Therefore, some even referred to magitech items as treasures.
Treasures that were hard to acquire even with money.
Because they possessed such special power, there were occasional instances of rejection between the wearer and the item.
She was now checking if such a reaction was occurring with Cadet Han Cheon-seong.
"…"
"…"
As they exchanged gazes in silence, perhaps five minutes passed.
Cadet Han Cheon-seong, under her gaze, looked perplexed, his gaze constantly wandering.
At that point, she felt somewhat relieved.
"This looks fine. No rejection. Cadet Han Cheon-seong, you can move now."
He let out a deep breath and moved his arms and legs, and watching him, she couldn't help but smile.
Other cadets would probably listen to her well too, but he seemed to listen exceptionally well.
The cadet seemed somewhat naive.
"The earrings I just put on you are one of the magitech items called 'Elimiang's Grace.'"
"Elimiang's Grace."
He repeated her words as if hearing the name for the first time. She nodded and added a detailed explanation.
"It's one of the items created by Elimiang, a magitech artisan with a Unique-tier magitech attribute. As the name 'Grace' suggests, it possesses a special power that increases the wearer's natural recovery rate. Wearing the earrings, you won't tire easily, and you'll have more vitality in your daily life, offering many benefits."
As she explained, she met his gaze.
The surprise and wonder in his distinctive black eyes.
Yet, she also sensed a slightly impertinent question in his eyes, as if asking, 'Is that all?'
In truth, even these effects alone made it a treasure highly sought after, but she understood Cadet Han Cheon-seong's gaze.
Because that wasn't the only reason she had insisted this magitech item suited Cadet Han Cheon-seong.
"And if the user wishes, they can also maintain a more strenuous state."
"A strenuous state? Do you mean… it can make my body bear a greater load?"
He replied as if he had almost understood, and she smiled, nodding.
Cadet Han Cheon-seong immediately grasped why she had given him this.
"Exactly. As the name 'Grace' suggests, you can lead a more comfortable and easier life, but the opposite is also possible. You can make life harder, more inconvenient, and more difficult. For example, even comfortable breathing can become so strenuous that you become conscious of it."
At her words, Cadet Han Cheon-seong touched the earrings with a blank expression.
It seemed alien and somewhat unfamiliar to him that such an accessory had suddenly appeared on his ear. Yet, his gaze was strangely testing.
'…Testing?'
At the moment she wondered why his gaze was testing,
"Ugh!"
Cadet Han Cheon-seong suddenly let out a pained groan and dropped to one knee.
…Watching him, she was greatly surprised.
'I didn't even tell him the proper way to use it. How on earth…?'
She had only explained the effects of Elimiang's Grace.
But now. Cadet Han Cheon-seong seemed to have skipped several intermediate steps and used Elimiang's Grace directly.
And he had pushed himself to the extreme.
"Haa… haa…"
He was breathing heavily, even biting his lip, and the more she watched Cadet Han Cheon-seong, the more dumbfounded she became.
She herself had worn Elimiang's Grace and used it for training on several occasions.
So, she fully understood how difficult it could become if one earnestly desired to push themselves.
She also knew how many days it had taken her to get used to its usage…
But.
Cadet Han Cheon-seong had not only activated the magitech item's effect shortly after wearing it, but he was now 'adapting' to it.
His heavy breaths and unstable posture.
They gradually stabilized, as if returning to their original state.
"Hoo…"
He slowly took a deep breath, seemingly adjusting his condition, and even that sight was impressive.
Even when she first wore it and activated it with difficulty, she had failed to control the intensity and had suffered for almost half a day in that state.
'He did that all by himself…'
How on earth was this possible?
Cadet Han Cheon-seong had simply activated it himself and immediately adjusted the intensity.
And at an unbelievable speed…
"Instructor Kali, I apologize. I made a spectacle of myself."
He regained his composure and carefully offered an apology. She blankly shook her head.
"It's fine. There's no need to call it a spectacle. But Cadet Han Cheon-seong, how did you use the magitech item and adapt to it so quickly? It shouldn't be that… easy."
It typically took a long time just to get the hang of magitech items if one didn't understand them.
"Well, as you said, Instructor, once I thought about it, the burden immediately applied to my body. I think I'll still need time to properly master this magitech item, but…"
"Of course, that's natural. So, in the end, you mean it worked just by thinking about it?"
"Yes. Instructor Kali, is my answer strange?"
Had she made too strange an expression at his reply?
He asked so carefully that she let out a wry chuckle.
"No. It's not strange or anything. It's just… quite astonishing. Not many people adapt to magitech items this quickly. Even I struggled a bit at first."
"Then I guess I was just lucky."
He replied with an awkward smile at her words, and her gaze lingered on him anew.
—Han Cheon-seong.
His attribute was Common, but no matter how she looked at him, this cadet was far from ordinary.
His thoughts. His actions. His mindset. His values. And even his current appearance – none of it could be called ordinary.
It made her wonder why the world had given such a cadet a low Common attribute…
"Cadet Han Cheon-seong?"
"Yes, Instructor."
"I'm sorry, but… that doesn't mean I can just give you those earrings arbitrarily. I hope you understand that point."
She felt a little awkward saying it.
He was such a commendable and admirable cadet, but giving him a magitech item was too immense in value.
"I understand, of course. How could I just accept such an item?"
Watching the cadet smile as if he understood… she felt a strange mix of emotions. She inexplicably felt the urge to take care of him a little more.
And now, she felt certain.
No matter how she looked at him…
'He seems like a genius.'
In terms of talent, he was nothing short of a genius.
Even now, without having directly confirmed the cadet's skill,
she already felt that way.